Thursday, April 30, 2015

I'd say a combination of dry and oily, even though its mostly dry. My forehead, cheeks and neck are quite dry so I tend to apply lots of moisturiser in these areas, but my nose, dark circles and eyelids can be oily so primer is always a must in my make-up routine!

Twice: in the morning before I cleanse and moisturise and at night. Me without make-up is not a good look and don't nobody deserve to see me like that, so no washing during the day.

4. Do you exfoliate?

Yes, twice a week. It makes a real difference to my skin which feels just so soft afterwards. I like Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Exfoliating Wash.

5. What moisturiser do you use?

I use two different ones. My day cream is Rich Moisturising Day Cream by Nivea and at night I use Beautiful Skin Night Cream Normal/Dry by N.7 (simply the best moisturiser I have ever used). I also use a serum by Nivea called Cellular Anti-Age to avoid fine lines and wrinkles. To see my skincare regime you can check this post here.

6. Do you use eye cream?

Yup, it’s called Simple Kind to Eyes Revitalising Eye Roll-On and I swear by it. It soothes my skin and is great under my make-up (I did a review of it here).

7. Do you or did you have acne prone skin?

I've been really blessed in the skin department and cannot complain about the minor imperfections and small pimples that arise from time to time; nothing major that I can’t cover with a little bit of make-up.

8. What foundation do you use?

I have way too many and I tend to use a different one every day. But my favourite by far is Stay Perfect Foundation by N.7 and my shade is Warm Ivory. It's not matte (which is the only downsize) but it gives me such good coverage and stays put for hours.

9. How about concealer?

Again, I have many different ones, but right now I'm mostly sticking to Maybelline Fit Me Concealer and my shade is Light.

10. Do you know your undertone colour?

Yup, my undertone is Warm but if you don’t know yours, you can check it here.

11. What do you think of false eyelashes?

Pretty! And I have many of them but can never get them quite right. My own eyelashes with a good amount of mascara give me enough volume as it is so still waiting for a big occasion to bat my ridiculously long falsies.

12. Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?

Yes, and I try to follow this rule but I do have some old mascara in my dressing table that cost me a little more than they should have and I just can't seem to get rid of them.

13. What brand of mascara do you use?

My favourite mascara at the moment is Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara (review of it here). It's cheap and works really well on me. But I have other brands too but the Maybelline one wins it all!

14. Boots or Superdrug?

I much prefer Boots where you can get cheaper make-up as well as premium brands. But, I like MUA and Makeup Revolution, only available at Superdrug.

15. What tools do you use in make-up application?

Everything! I have many different brushes and beauty blenders but nothing beats blending concealer with the tips of my fingers. Funny note: I have tried teaching my mum what each brush is designed for but whenever she needs something she will pick up the first one she sees.

16. Do you use make-up base/primer?

Every day! I have very oily eyelids so if I don’t use a primer, my eye make-up will not hold in place. I use the Mary Kay eye primer and it is amazing! For my face, I have many different ones but my current favourite is W7 primer, which cost me £3.99 and have reviewed it here.

17. What is your favourite eye shadow (colour or shade)?

I like using nude shades and my favourite palette would have to be Koloss Powerful Palette N.2 which I bought in Brazil and it is the exact replica of Naked by Urban Decay.

18. Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?

I use gel eyeliner because it makes application easier for me.

19. How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?

HAHA I have done that once or twice in the past, but nowadays never.

20. What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?

Pretty, especially the new MAC Cinderella ones. But they are messy and I am clumsy, so not sure if a good combination.

21. What is your favourite lipstick?

Tough choice, but I would say FruFru by Dailus Pro ( number 4 on this list here). It is the perfect shade of purple and you will definitely be seeing lots of pictures of me wearing it this summer.

22. How about lip gloss?

I'm not really keen on lip gloss to be honest, it sticks to my hair and it's messy. But if I had to choose, I’d say Kiko Supergloss, shade Pearly Rose Quartz which is quite pretty and I wear (very) occasionally.

23. Do you ever buy any make-up on eBay/Amazon?

eBay, no. I've bought a few things from Amazon but I always make sure the seller is trustworthy and the product is authentic by reading the reviews. I have had no problems so far.

24. Do you like drug store make-up?

Like it? I freakin' love it! I do my research to make sure cheap does not mean poor quality and aside from a few disappointments, most of the stuff I bought is pretty awesome.

25. Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?

I took a short make-up course by "Boca Rosa" (a somewhat famous make-up artist from Rio, Brazil) and even got myself a nice looking certificate. I want to do a few more but I find them to be somewhat expensive so I need to earn more monies before I am able to brush up on my make-up skills.

26. Hardest make-up trick?

I still have trouble perfecting the cat eye.

27. Name a make-up crime that you hate.

Badly drawn eyebrows are just horrid! I find this video here to be super funny and I agree 100% with everything this blogger says.

28. Crazy coloured make-up?

During the week I tend to wear more neutral shades, but in the weekend I go a bit crazier with the colours.

29. In your opinion. which celebrity always has great make-up?

Jennifer Aniston! I am a huge Friends fan so I may be biased here, but the woman manages to age and look yet more beautiful every time I see her. Her make up is always classy, and less is more with her. I like how her make-up artist highlights her best features and makes her look fresh and natural at the same time.

30. If you could leave the house using just ONE make-up item,what would you pick?

Concealer! I have pretty dark eye circles so that is the one thing I always have to cover up.

31. Could you ever leave the house without any make-up on?

Yes but leaving the house without make-up makes me feel uncomfortable and somewhat "naked". If I'm wearing just a tiny bit of concealer and lip balm, I am already more confident.

32. Do you think you look good without any make-up on?

My fiancé says I do so I will trust him on that.

33. In your opinion, what is the BEST make-up brand?

Hmmm tough one! I don't think I can pick only one, but I am a big fan of all things Benefit. A cheaper make-up brand which I discovered only recently is W7 and their stuff is pretty amazing too.

34. How many times do you wash your hair per week?

Ermmm...every day. I know you are not supposed to but I hate going to sleep with my hair smelling of pollution and whatever else the wonderful London air has to offer. I have to wash it every day even if that means spending a lot of money on Shampoo.

Couple of weeks ago. I tend not get my hair cut very often because I am a tiny bit scared of hairdressers. You tell them "just a tiny bit off the back" but they never listen. Thankfully my last haircut was exactly what I wanted and I even got highlights done.

37. Do you style your hair with heat everyday?

Yes, sadly I do. I like having a straight side fringe and some loose curls but if I am late for work I do my fringe only and I am out of the door.

38. Have you ever had a bad colouring done?

Who hasn't?! I remember wanting highlights really badly a few years back but instead of going to the hairdressers, mum and I thought we could do it ourselves in the comfort of our home. Let's just say things didn't end well and the next day I was at the hairdressers trying to fix what we had done.

39. Buns or Ponytails?

Both! I love having my hair up in different ways, I think they look fun and interesting. I did a post few weeks back where I teach you 10 different hairstyles (which are perfect for Spring/Summer now that I think about it, see here) so check that out for some ideas.

40. What 2015 hair trend do you like best?

I really like how braids are making a comeback (they never went anywhere really). I wish I could do more than a simple fishtail or french braid though so now it's the time to brush up on my braiding skills.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Today's topic is: MAKE-UP! I wanted to show you 5 products I am loving at the moment. These products were all bought for less than a fiver (bargain I know!) AND they are pretty good alternatives for Premium Make-up products! Want to find out more about them? Then keep reading and enjoy.

This bronzer is out of this world! You know how most drugstore bronzers leave your skin orange rather than giving you a nice tanned glow? This is nothing like that. This bronzer is more brown than orange and I have been using this product daily for contouring. I am really impressed by its quality despite its price; it is very pigmented so you need to dose it correctly but also matte which suits daily use as I prefer no shimmer during the day. You can also see how build-able the coverage is depending on your skin tone.

This product has a great wear time and it is ideal to have in my bag because it's small and the packaging is sturdy. It comes with a very cute brush which is extremely soft, making application effortless.

This product is definitely a cheaper dupe for Benefit's Hoola Bronzing Powder; the packaging is very alike and even their names are similar! Hoola is a slightly lighter shade than Honolulu but also 4 times more expensive so you can't really complain here. I confess, I was a bit worried about the quality of W7, but I am so glad I tried their products because I am now hooked and this is my go-to daily bronzer.

Moving on, let's talk about the much loved Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow palettes. How beautiful are those? What if I told you that W7 does identical replicas of each of them? Yup! I have all of them of course, but the one I want to show you in particular is: W7 In The Nude - Natural Nudes £4.99

I bought this beautiful palette at Beauty Base a few months ago for exactly £4.99. I don't think they stock them any more, but I have seen these at Asda, Tk Maxx, and online. This palette is the exact replica of Urban Decay Naked 3 (the most beautiful of them all in my opinion) and whilst the original Nakeds go for £38 each, I am in love with the replica and it does the job perfectly for only 5 bucks!

There are 12 shadows and each of them have a different name, just like the original. I am not going to lie, the applicator isn't that great but this doesn't bother me too much because the quality of the shadows is unbelievable. You'd think that for the price, the quality would be compromised but that's not the case at all. These eye shadows are highly pigmented and will allow you to create such beautiful and natural looks, perfect for work and daytime outings.

You can prolong their wear and make the colour pop by using a primer of course (picture above with flash on and no primer). Considering I am very picky with shadows, these have won me over and are literally all I wear now. Why spend almost 40 bucks in one palette, when I can have all 3 for less than 20. I super recommend these so definitely go get yours!

Next: Highlighting! This has become a very important step in my make-up routine (check out my previous post on this here). A good highlighter is perfect to showcase where the shine would naturally be if the sun was hitting your face. So when I saw this highlighter for less than £3 I knew I had to get it and try it out: Technic High Lights Highlighter£2.43.

This highlighter is liquid but I found it very simple to use and easy to blend. Liquid highlighters tend to give a more natural finish and dewy appearance so I dabbed this across my cheek bones and above my cupid's bow and it gave me a subtle glow which lasted me all day long. As a lover of all things Benefit, the Benefit High Beam Luminescent Complexion Enhancer (such a long name!) has been on my wishlist for a very long time. But I never could justify paying almost £20 on such a small product so I am very glad I stumbled upon this cheaper dupe by Technic, it is perfect!

I have read that this product has a higher shine than the Benefit one because of its shiny grains which are just that bit finer. I have never used High Beam, so cannot really compare the two but what I can say is that, a little bit of High Lights goes a long way and it leaves me with such a beautiful complexion. I love the price, I love the shine, I love this tiny bottle!

I have tried various primers, from expensive ones to cheaper drugstore brands and this is by far one of the best primers I have ever used. I love everything about this product; it does its job by reducing the appearance of my pores and fine lines. I have found that when you first squeeze the product into your hands, it does have a weird consistency. But as soon as you put it on your face, you are in heaven! Your skin suddenly becomes soft and smooth and just so nice to touch. Primers are also meant to prolong wear of foundation and this does absolutely that. I wear make-up every day to work (from 6am to almost 7pm), and of course my make-up doesn't look as fresh as it does when I first put it on, but this primer manages to keep everything in place with no necessary touch ups during the day.

I would even compare this to Smashbox Photo Finish Primer (which costs £28); both leave your skin soft and nice but the huge price gap makes me pick W7 as a winner. The price tag and the quality of this product are both amazing, so I will definitely re-purchase in the future!

Last but not least, LyDia Professional Blending Brush£2.99 (£3 for a brush? Are you kidding me?!)

Yes, we all dream of having every single MAC brush out there, but those prices are just not that pretty. This brush however has a tiny price tag and is perfect in every single way. No more badly blended eyeshadow, this brush is a must have for every make-up lover as it has very soft bristles allowing you to create the perfect "smokey eyes". And even though it is slightly larger than your normal blending brush, it is very comparable to MAC 224 Tapered Blending at just a fraction of the price.

The quality? I have washed this brush a few times now and not a single hair has come loose which proves how well made this is. I have just ordered my second one and cannot wait until it gets here!

And that is the end of my list and these are my favourite cheapy dupes of the moment! If you have any other good and *cheap* dupes, do share them with me. I love a good bargain! And if you have tried any of the above products, do leave me your opinion below!

Sunday, April 19, 2015

If you live in London, you will agree with me that the weather has been somewhat bipolar for the past few weeks. It seems that whenever I am working, the sun is shining beautifully outside whilst I am stuck inside the office, but on weekends all we get is cold weather, rain and wind *sigh*. BUT since I have hope (and faith) that nice weather is coming our way, I wanted to share with you guys a Spring #Lookoftheday I wore recently. This is the first "fashion" post on the blog, but I had so much fun putting this together that I feel many more are yet to come so I hope you like it!☺

I confess, I've been known to wear black, A LOT! (which annoys my fiancé so much). Black is simple and easy, it goes with everything and makes us look slimmer. But according to Pantone, this season there is a move toward the cooler and softer side of the colour spectrum. This means we will be seeing a lot more pale pastels this Spring. But fear not! I created a flirty yet young look to show you that wearing colours can also be versatile and flattering and why we shouldn't be wasting our Spring days wearing black.

Having recently bought lilac coloured jeans, I was a bit stuck on how to wear them; nothing a little research on Pinterest couldn't fix. I came across similar coloured pants worn with Navy jackets, white shirts and even green tops, and I instantly fell in love with how all of these colours looked together. I opened my wardrobe for a little inspiration and saw a lot of baby pink items. That's it! Pink it is! And this is what I came up with:

♥ Blazer: Matalan

♥ Print T-shirt: Matalan
♥ Pull on Jeggings: Matalan (yes I loveeee Matalan way too much)
♥ Shoes: New Look
♥ Clutch Bag: New Look
♥ Necklace: Accessorize
And here are a few closer shots of the accessories I chose to complete the look:

These colours look so adorable together! The t-shirt print is my favourite part of this outfit! It adds a nice touch and really pulls the whole thing together. I chose a minimalist, yet contrasting necklace to add more detail. Plus, by pulling my hair all to one side, I am able to create the illusion of a slimmer face and bring attention to my neckline. All in all, this look made me feel beautiful, comfortable and even got me compliments on how nice I looked. Even though I had killer heels on, the t-shirt makes this outfit casual and very wearable. I could see myself wearing this for work for casual Friday for example (minus the heels of course), for date night with le boyf or for a night out with the girls. Here's also a variation of the same look with a Faux Leather Jacket and flats for a more relaxed look; perfect for a day out.

What do you think? Ditch your boring black clothes, and try wearing a few colours instead! I hope you can be inspired by these looks and look totally fab this season!

***Special shout-out to my beautiful mum for all these lovely pictures.***

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Last year we saw mermaid waves, platinum blonde, short bobs, and long and straight hairstyles. Whilst some of these are making a comeback, here are a few of my favourite new trends we will be seeing a lot more this year.

Let's start with the Long Bob.

It's time to grow out those short bobs! The Long Bob is a blunt haircut with no layers. It is longer than the usual bob, with hair above-the-shoulder length or slightly longer and it is perfect for spring and summer. Celebrities seem to be loving this trend as more and more of them are chopping off their famously long locks and I am loving the results! This haircut suits those with straight and wavy hair and they can be personalised which means they can suit all face shapes! And imagine how much shampoo you would save, seriously considering it! Be prepared to make a trip to the salon every 4-6 weeks as this cut tends to lose shape faster than longer haircuts but it's totally worth it. I have 2 words for you: Très chic!

I am not completely sold on this next one. But I think people with confidence and style can definitely sport the newly famous Granny (Grey) Hair.

Ombré hair is so in the past! Young women are now dyeing their hair grey and older gals are no longer trying to cover them up. At first I thought this was a bit weird, but it kinda grew on me. This isn't exactly a trend I will be following mostly because I don't think I have the face for it but I like how futuristic and modern the colour is and how pretty the above women look. And if you want to see more silver hair lovers, Instagram is flooded with pictures of models, selfies and proud grey-haired people; #grannyhair.

Low Ponytails were big last year and they are not going anywhere this season!

I love how sophisticated this looks. I have been wearing this hairstyle a lot lately because it is so simple and sometimes I just cannot deal with my hair that day! All it takes is wearing your ponytail loosely at the nape of your neck and you can also try adding some crimped sections to add texture, or even a few braids. It can look so chic and they work with side or middle parting, straightened and curly locks which makes them so versatile. They are also an amazing way to get rid of hair from around your neck in the upcoming summer and for you to show off some nice jewellery. Wear your hassle-free ponytails from daytime to evening and you will be right on trend. Love it!

Next up...Braids! They have always been a favourite of mine and boy am I happy to know they are back on trend! Whatever your face shape or preferred style is, each braid can create a unique look and there is definitely a style that suits you.

Some braids can be more complicated than others, but now it's the time to brush up on those braiding skills. There are tons of tutorials on YouTube to help you perfect those braids and I did a post a while ago which included some braided hairstyles so you can check that out here. Mix things up a little, try a fishtail braid, a French braid or even something a little more complicated, remember practice makes perfect. There are so many possibilities so have fun and enjoy your beautiful braids this spring!

Warning: Not for the faint-hearted! The Ice Blonde has already been a big hit this year and here a few celebrities rocking this hair colour.

You will all recall Kim K breaking the Internet earlier this year with her dramatic hair change (which is now back to raven black- I guess she got bored?). And I must say, the above women look flawless. If you are thinking of embarking on this trend, make sure you ask your hairdresser which shade would be best for your skin tone (whether the undertone should be white or yellow). And it is good to remember that unless you have a similar hair colour already, getting to Ice Blonde can be damaging and will require a lot of maintenance and TLC (and monies)!

What about you, will you be trying any of these out? Let me know below!

Friday, April 10, 2015

The Sleek Matte Me Lip Gloss collection has been hugely popular (you can check all the available colours here) and now I understand why. These lipsticks are available in 6 vibrant shades which according to Sleek are designed to suit all skin tones and they claim to have smooth matte finish and provide wear for hours. I purchased a few (almost all) of them last week and I want to share my opinion and show you how they look on me. There are things I really love about this product but things I wish were better but before I get to that, let's check out the colours I got (swatches include pictures with flash on and off so you can see how they look in different lighting).

Picture: Sleek MakeUp

Birthday Suit: a very classic browish nude which I am in love with. To me, the colour on my lips looks a tad darker than it does on the bottle. But I've been after a Marsala lipstick for a while and whilst I got Maybelline 630 Velvet Beige, I wanted a matte one that would last me all day and this is perfection! AND Marsala has been nominated "Colour Of The Year 2015" by Pantone so it's totally "in" right now.

Petal: a pale pastel pink and my absolute favourite of the collection. I have been wearing it for work almost every day because it's so flattering and discreet; it literally goes with everything. Pastels are always in fashion and this colour is flawless. It also reminds me of MAC Saint Germain but in a matte version.

Brink Pink: a (VERY) vivid neon pink, so bright it’s literally on the brink. I was scared of this one as I was putting it on because I didn't think it would so striking. As I preparing to shoot this colour, my brother walked into my room and his words were: "YOWZA!" That is how bold this colour is and it does take guts to walk out of the house wearing it. I'm not sure this is one I would wear constantly but I will keep it for a very summery day and it might just look really nice.

Fandango Purple: a somewhat fuchsia purple, great for the weekend and a night out. This colour is extremely vibrant and I'm really fond of purple lipsticks at the moment and it's nice to have this shade in my makeup collection. In my opinion it's quite similar to MAC Fashion Boost Lip Liner and you can totally see how the colour changes depending on the lighting!

Rioja Red: THIS! I have never seen such a true bright red colour as this one on my lips before. This is a traffic stopping colour that will be very much used by me in the upcoming summer. It is truly beautiful and it kind of reminds me of Ruby Woo by Mac. This colour is anything but shy so you need to be brave to sport this one but I am already attached so I will totally embrace it.

Now what do I think?

♥ This stuff is seriously awesome! I have found them to be so rich and pigmented (especially the brighter colours) so you will need to apply with caution. Sleek advises that this only needs one coat and I find that to be completely true. With one coat of each of these lipsticks I was able to get good coverage and a decent finish. I even had to remove some of it by blotting as one slick is more than enough.

♥ It dries to a very matte/velvety finish but I don't feel that it dries too fast making it difficult for me to spread it out. They can be drying so if you have dry lips make sure you ex-foliate and moisturise your lips beforehand. When I tried using a lip balm right before applying the lip gloss, the colour looked great but my lips became very sticky and not nice at all. So, I would advise applying a lip balm the night before, so that your lips are well moisturised and they don't crack/peel/flake the next day.

♥ I'd say these are almost all true to colour and provide a smooth application. The colours I had most trouble applying were the darker/brighter ones, so make sure you take your time applying them and perhaps even try a lip liner first so you know to apply inside the lines and make less of a mess!

♥ They dry relatively quickly to a matte finish and are long wearing. I have worn them for several hours and even after eating and drinking the colour was still very much present. This stuff does not budge easily, and you will need a make-up remover to completely remove it.

♥ I find that the wand isn't that amazing. It's quite stiff to work with especially when applying the brighter colours so you have be extra careful.

♥ But all in all, they provide me with such a lovely finish and for the price you pay (£4.99 each), what else could you want! I have been adventuring on all sorts of matte lip colours for a while and these are a nice addition to my make-up bag.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Easter is almost here and I am soooo excited for this long weekend we get to have here in the UK. I feel like I've been working way too much so it's nice to be able to finally let my hair down but most importantly go a bit wild and wear nice bright nail colours.

Speaking of nails, today I want to bring 2 things in one post. I want to share my opinion on the New Rimmel London 60 Seconds Super Shine by Rita Ora polish collection and show you a fun way of wearing them for an Easter themed manicure.

It’s not a secret to anyone that I have been faithful to Essie polishes (and Essie polishes only) for a very long time. But as soon as I saw the cover page of Stylist magazine for this week I knew I had to have them. The colours available are absolutely gorgeous and you will find yourself wanting to buy the whole range!

I love the formula of these polishes; they provide good coverage thanks to the brilliantly designed maxi brush. But what I am impressed with the most is how affordable these are and how fast they dry! Each costs £2.99 which is super cheap compared to Essie (£7.99) AND I can buy 3 (with the 3 for 2 offer at Boots) for less than the price of one Essie. I am super picky on how fast a polish dries but these have definitely won me over in that department. They claim to dry within 60 seconds, and whilst that is true when you only have one coat on, for 2 coats it did take slightly longer but that was not an issue for me. These polishes are also supposed to be chip-resistant and last for about 10 days. I will report back when I have more on this since I have only been wearing them for 2 days (no chips so far though). I got myself the following colours (starting from left to right):

Roll in the Grass 878: green, green, green! This is the only green colour in the collection and they have done it perfectly! The colour you see on the bottle is what you will get on your nails, and to me that is exactly what I wanted for my Easter nails.

Orangina 413: a cross between peach and orange. It’s darker than Peachella and lighter than Tangerine Tent from the same collection but still a perfect orange for this spring.

Go Wild Er Ness 558: a pastel lilac and in my opinion a perfect dupe for Essie Lilacism. It’s all about pastel colours nowadays and this does not fail to disappoint. It does need 2 coats to give your nails a good coverage, but it dries in no time so that shouldn't be an issue.

Neon Fest 322: My absolute favourite! I personally love bright cheerful colours and this is the perfect magenta pink! I find that this can be worn with only one coat and still look great.

Now, here is a swatch for all the colours mentioned above. My Easter Nails!

I love how fun and colourful they look. I did ask my mum if I could do her nails too but she kindly rejected the offer saying it was a bit too much for her age (I will take that as a compliment mummy). I saw this super easy design on the back cover of Stylist and tried to recreate my own version and I think it’s quite good for someone who has zero nail art skills. If I can do it, so can you! For the white flowers, I used the Konad Stamping Nail Art set and Stamping Plate M69.

So there you have it! I hope you enjoyed it and I want to wish you all a wonderful Easter Holiday and remember: Jesus has risen and He is alive, THAT is the real meaning of Easter! :)

Thanks for reading once again everyone, leave a comment to tell me what you think!